Apparatus and method for making novelty stuffer crimped yarns



1964 E. H. SHATTUCK ETAL 3,121,935

APPARATUS AND METHOD F OR MAKING NOVELTY STUFFER CRIMPED YARNS Filed June 50, 1961 PRO GAA MMER INVENTORS Eva T H. SHA T CK PApk w.- Nc-wpy ATTORNEY 2v ZV/ M KM; M a 4 III United States Patent 3 121,935 APPARATUS ANDMETHOD FOR MAKING NOVELTY STUFFER CRIMPED YARNS Ewart H. Shattuck and Paul W. Langway, Wilmington,

Del., assignors to Joseph Bancroft & Sons Co., Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 30, 1961, Ser. No. 121,022 Claims. (Ci. 281) This invention relates to a method and apparatus for making a novelty bolked'yarn and more particularly to the making of a novelty cr-imped yarn in a stuff-er crimper.

An object is to produce a stutter crimped yarn in which the chimp amplitude varies in a predetermined pattern along the yarn.

Another object is to provide novel and improved mechanism for making such a yarn in a standard stuffer crimping apparatus.

Various other objects and advantages will be apparent as the nature of the invention is more fully disclosed.

In a stuffer crimper of the type herein referred to the yarn or filaments are fed between rotating feed rolls into a confined crimping chamber wherein the yarn is folded over and crirnped as it contacts the packed mass of previously crimped yarn or filaments in the chamber. The present invention is based upon the discovery that the crimp amplitude and frequency can be varied and controlled by varying the angle at which the yarn is fed into the bite of the feed rolls. A maximum crimp level is obtained when the yarn is .fed perpendicularly to the bite of the rolls and a minimum crimp level is obtained when the yarn is laid parallel to the bite so that it is fed later ally into the crimping chamber. The present invention accordingly provides means for controlling the angle at which the yarn is guided into the bite of the feed rolls.

The nature of the invention will be better understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which a specific embodiment has been set forth for purposes of illustration.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a vertical section taken on line 1-1 of FIG. 2, throngs a portion of a stutter crirnper embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial section taken on the line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a broken elevation of the lower portion of a stuifer cnimper illustrating a further embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 4 is a detail view of a yarn illustrating the product.

Referring to the drawing more in detail the invention is shown as applied to a stutter crirnpe-r comprising a block carrying a ori'mper tube 11 and having heating rods 12 for supplying heat to the crimping zone. A pair of feed rolls 13 are disposed to feed yarn for crimping into the lower end of tube '11. The crirnped yarn is withdrawn from the top of the tube 11 by suitable means such as delivery rolls, not shown. The crimper is of the general type shown in the Shattuck Patent No. 2,734,229 and only so much thereof has been shown herein as is necessary for an understanding of this invention.

In accordance with this invention the yarn 14 is fed through a tension gate composed of a fixed member 15 and a movable member 16, through an open ended tube 18 to the bite of the rolls 13. Air under pressure is fed to the tube 18 from a pipe 19 and a nozzle 20 which is inclined to the axis of the tube 18 so as to direct air npwardly in the tube 18 against the bite of the rolls 13.

The movable gate member 16 is pivoted on a bracket 21 and is held by a weight 22 in closed position for gripping the yarn. A pipe 24 branched from the pipe 19 is ice directed to blow air against a plate 25 attached to the movable member 16 so as to shift said member against the force of the weight 22 and thus reduce the drag of the gate on the yarn 14.

In the operation of this device the yarn 14 is normally fed through the gate 15 and the air tube 18 to the bite of the rolls 13 for crimping in the crimping tube 11. At selected intervals which may be determined by a program device or by a pattern control, air under pressure is supplied to the tube 19. This air acting against the plate 25 opens the :gate member -16 to release the drag on the yarn, and the air blowing through the nozzle 20 into the tube 18 blows a mass of yarn against the bite of the feed rolls 13 where it forms one or more loops with lengths of the yarn lying parallel to the bite of the rolls 13. As this yarn is fed through the bite laterally it is not bent over and cnimped against the mass of crimped yarn within the tube 1 1 but remains substantially uncrimped.

By suitable control of the above apparatus certain lengths 26 of the yarn may be caused to have zig zag chimps as shown in FIG. 4 and other lengths of the yarn may remain straight as illustrated at 27 in FIG. 4. The relative lengths of the crimperd and straight sections depend upon the timing of the air supply to the tube 19.

In the embodiment of FIG. 3 the stuffer crimper is of the type shown disclosed except for the feed mechanism. In this form.- the yarn 30 is fed to the bite of the rolls 13 by a guide trumpet 3-1 which is mounted on a bar 32, slidably held in a guide 33.

One of the feed rolls 13 is shown as mounted on a shaft 34 which is driven by a gear wheel 35.

The bar 32 forms an extension of the core of a solenoid 39 which is adapted to shift the bar 32 axially when energized. Stops 36 limit the movement of the bar 32 and a spring 37 bearing against a collar 38 on the bar 32 returns the bar to its initial position when the solenoid is deenergized. In this embodiment when the solenoid 39 is deenergized the trumpet 31 remains fixed and the yarn is fed perpendicularly into the bite of the rolls 13. However, when the solenoid 39 is energized the trumpet 31 is shifted rapidly along the face of the feed rolls so as to lay the yarn into the bite in a generally parallel position so that it remains uncrimped or is less highly crimped than the yarn which is fed between the [feed rolls while the trumpet 31 is stationary. If the solenoid 39 is energized and deenergized rapidly the trumpet is caused to reciprocate along the feed rolls so that the length of yarn which is thus laid on the feed rolls is less highly crimped. In this way the portions of the yarn which are to be highly crimped and the portions which are to be less highly crimped can be selected.

A program device 41 is adapted to energize or deenergize the solenoid at predetermined time intervals.

This program device may constitute a tape recorder or controller or other suitable means for selectively energizing and deenergizing the solenoid in a time sequence.

While the trumpet 31 has been shown as solenoidcontrolled, it is obvious that other mechanical control means may be employed for example a mechanically driven cam and cam follower or a grooved roll as shown in Patent No. 3,000,060. In accordance with the present invention the trumpet is so regulated that it is caused to remain stationary for maximum crimp conditions and to be shifted laterally for minimum crimp conditions.

Various other combinations may be produced by suitable modifications of this apparatus as will be apparent to a person skilled in the art.

\Vhat is claimed is:

1. The method of making a novelty yarn in a stutter crimper wherein the yarn is fed between feed rolls into a confined chamber against a mass 01 previously crirnped yarn held compacted in said chamber, which comprises feeding said yarn in a direction normal to the bite of the feed rolls Efor crimping, and at predetermined intervals forcing a mass of said yarn in the form of loops against the bite of said rolls to be fed laterally through said bite, with a consequent reduction in crimp amplitude.

2. The method of making a novelty yarn in a stutter crimper wherein the yarn is fed between feed rolls into a confined chamber against a mass of previously crimped yarn held compacted in said chamber, which comprises feeding said yarn in a direction normal to the bite of the feed rolls for crimping, and periodically feeding said yarn laterally through said bite for reducing the crimp level in a predetermined pattern.

3. Apparatus for making a novelty yarn in a stufier crimper comprising a crimping chamber containing a mass of previously crimped yarn and a pair of feed rolls adapted to feed yarn into said chamber against the pressure of said mass of yarn therein, guide means guidirig the yarn to the bite of sad feed rolls, and means assoelated with said guide means and operating periodically to cause a mass of said yarn to lie laterally in said bite to be fed laterally thereby against said mass of yarn in said chamber.

4. Apparatus for making a novelty yarn in a staffer crimper comprising a crimping chamber containing a mass of previously crimped yarn and a pair of feed rolls adapted to feed yarn into said chamber against the pressure of said mass of yarn therein, a tube positioned to guide said yarn into the bite of said rolls for crimping, and means including an air jet connected to blow a mass of yarn intermittently through said tube against said bite to be fed laterally therethrough into said mass of yarn in said chamber and a gate disposed to exert a friction drag on said yarn in advance of said tube, and means to re lease said drag during the operation of said air jet,

5. Crimping apparatus as set forth in claim 4 in which said last means includes a pivoted member and air pressure means connected to actuate said member to release said gate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,734,229 Shattuck Feb. 14, 1956 2,938,258 Starkie May 31, 1960 2,949,659 Heijnis et al Aug. 23, 1960 3,000,060 Shattuck et al. Sept. 19, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 20,597 Germany Ian. 10, 1961 

1. THE METHOD OF MAKING A NOVELTY YARN IN A STUFFER CRIMPER WHEREIN THE YARN IS FED BETWEEN FEED ROLLS INTO A CONFINED CHAMBER AGAINST A MASS OF PREVIOUSLY CRIMPED YARN HELD COMPACTED IN SAID CHAMBER, WHICH COMPRISES FEEDING SAID YARN IN A DIRECTION NORMAL TO THE BITE OF THE FEED ROLLS FOR CRIMPING, AND AT PREDETERMINED INTERVALS FORCING A MASS OF SAID YARN IN THE FORM OF LOOPS AGAINST THE BITE OF SAID ROLLS TO BE FED LATERALLY THROUGH SAID BITE, WITH A CONSEQUENT REDUCTION IN CRIMP AMPLITUDE.
 4. APPARATUS FOR MAKING A NOVELTY YARN IN A STUFFER CRIMPER COMPRISING A CRIMPING CHAMBER CONTAINING A MASS OF PREVIOUSLY CRIMPED YARN AND A PAIR OF FEED ROLLS ADAPTED TO FEED YARN INTO SAID CHAMBER AGAINST THE PRESSURE OF SAID MASS OF YARN THEREIN, A TUBE POSITIONED TO GUIDE SAID YARN INTO THE BITE OF SAID ROLLS FOR CRIMPING, AND MEANS INCLUDING AN AIR JET CONNECTED TO BLOW A MASS OF YARN INTERMITTENTLY THROUGH SAID TUBE AGAINST SAID BITE TO BE FED LATERALLY THERETHROUGH INTO SAID MASS OF YARN IN SAID CHAMBER AND A GATE DISPOSED TO EXERT A FRICTION DRAG ON SAID YARN IN ADVANCE OF SAID TUBE, AND MEANS TO RELEASE SAID DRAG DURING THE OPERATION OF SAID AIR JET. 